ELISAS PART 3?????

Nov 19, 2006

well doc after donating and more tests have come back. i just got my 4 month and 5 month tests back and the elisas are still reactive with the rest of the tests being non reactive. i was told by my doc that im hiv neg and to stop testing but due to me having geographic tongue 4 weeks after the exposure and the purple painless spots that come and go in 72 hours on the inside of my cheeks i think its time to order a pcr to find out the whole truth? the clinic did order a pcr viral count but the lab didnt perform it due to the 5 month test being the way that it was. doc help me i got all these symptoms and i really dont know what to do> do you think that if hiv was causing theses symptoms so soon that at 5 months one of the confimed tests would have had a positive result? or am i just not creating antibodies yet and im probably still seroconverting? do you think a pcr is the right answer or should i just get over my fears of a reactive elisa? some other sites state that a true false pos is a reactive elisa and reactive wbt? please help this worried guy out doc i havent slept in over 6 months!!!!!!!!!

thanks a bunch and oh ya another donation is on the way!

Response from Dr. Frascino

Hello,

Your ELISA tests are false-positives; however, your HIV-screening tests are not false-positives; they are unquestionably negative! In other words, an HIV-screening test with a positive ELISA and negative Western Blot is a negative HIV test!

ELISAs are very sensitive, which means they are highly likely to pick up true positives. However, ELISAs are not all that specific, which means they may also pick up false-positives. That's why it's essential to do a Western Blot to confirm positive ELISAs. A false-positive ELISA (even a repeatedly false-positive ELISA) is not all that unusual. However, a positive ELISA with a negative Western Blot is definitely a negative HIV test!

You are HIV negative. I see no reason for PCR or additional testing whatsoever!

This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.